Ah, Nuka-World! The “Vacation Kingdom.” It isn’t about sunshine or rainbows. It is about rusted rides and raider gangs. Want to set up shop in this irradiated Disneyland? You are in the right place. Let’s explore how to transform Nuka-World into your wasteland homestead. Beware of unique challenges, especially Preston Garvey.
Nuka-World: From Raider Retreat to Relaxing Resort (Sort Of)
First, can you build a settlement in Nuka-World? Short answer: yes. Longer answer: yes, but only after dealing with management. You must complete the quest “Open Season.” This questline suggests that the raiders’ business model is unsustainable and then shows them the door – permanently.
After clearing out raider gangs and restoring power, you can start crafting. Find a workbench in Nuka-World, use it, and BAM! Settlement mode is unlocked. Now, craft essential items like sleeping bags, water pumps that dispense questionable fluids, and guard posts with settlers questioning their choices.
Pro tip for power-hungry vault dwellers: you don’t need to restore power to unlock settlement building if you have not been given that objective. However, who wants to live in a dark amusement park? Flick those breakers and bring a little sunlight into your post-apocalyptic life.
Nuka-World adds one settlement to your collection. The base game has 30 settlements. Automatron adds one more, Far Harbor adds four, and Vault-Tec Workshop gifts another. The total is 37 potential settlements across the Commonwealth. Plenty of room to build your empire or hoard junk. Whatever floats your boat.
Raiders, Settlements, and the Wrath of Preston
Now let’s discuss raiders in the Commonwealth. Nuka-World isn’t just a settlement. It’s ground zero for launching raider attacks on your Commonwealth settlements. Fun, right? Maybe not for your settlers or Preston Garvey.
Sanctuary Hills, your starting neighborhood, can be a target for Nuka-World raiders. Fear not, it isn’t a foregone conclusion. Sanctuary becomes vulnerable only if you’ve completed “When Freedom Calls,” where you meet Preston and his minutemen, and have not stationed any companions there. Leave Dogmeat to guard the old neighborhood.
Regarding Preston… he despises raiders. The moment a raider flag appears in a Commonwealth settlement, his opinion drops fast. He will hate you with pure minuteman-disapproving hate.
Can you regain Preston’s favor? Yes, but it requires backtracking and killing raiders. The only way back into Preston’s good graces after dabbling in raider activities is by completing “Open Season.” That’s the quest where you wipe out all raiders. Think of it as wasteland relationship counseling.
For Machiavellian players, there’s a loophole. You can create raider outposts, enjoy the experience, and before meeting Preston, destroy all the raider camps. Poof! Raiders gone, Preston none the wiser. Just remember, what happens in the wasteland, stays there… unless Preston learns.
Nuka-World: Raiders, Slaves, and a Companion Who Gets It
Nuka-World throws you into a dilemma fast. After surviving the gauntlet, you face a choice: embrace raider life as the Overboss or liberate the slaves in Nuka-Town Market.
This choice isn’t just about morality; it affects gameplay and relationships, especially with Mr. Garvey. Choosing the raider path opens new quests focused on expanding your raider empire. Freeing slaves leads to “Open Season,” ending the raider storyline and allowing a peaceful settlement.
Speaking of relationships, Nuka-World features its own companion: Porter Gage. Gage is a raider and is understanding of pragmatic survival. If you lean towards raider life, Gage is your guy. He has the raider mindset and skills.
Powering Up Paradise (Or at Least the Lights)
Let’s return to power restoration in Nuka-World. Restoring power isn’t required to unlock settlement building, but it’s highly recommended for a better experience. Unlocking power is straightforward. Locate the big white button. Give it a satisfying push to watch the lights flicker back on.
Nuka-World as a settlement: achievable, customizable, and potentially disastrous for your relationship with Preston Garvey. Whether you embrace the raider life or become the savior of Nuka-Town’s downtrodden, weigh your options and consider the consequences. Pack a hazmat suit. It’s Nuka-World. Expect the unexpected, and expect some radiation.
